1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the leveling of cement on walls and more specifically to a device for supporting a screed during the striking off of the cement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cementing is a common manner of forming and/or covering a surface, such as a wall. A screed is drawn over the un-cured cement to form the outer surface plane of cement. During this leveling or striking off, the screed is supported toward its outer ends. Often the cement plane is covered with tiles.
It is desirable that the outer surface of cement applied to the wall be flat, i.e. that it be a plane, so that tiles or other coverings may be attached to it. Often it is also desirable that the cement plane be at an particular angle relative to some datum. For example, it may be desirable that a bathtub wall be vertical and, also, that it be at right angles to the adjoining walls. If the surface to be covered is generally horizontal, then it may be desirable for the cement plane to be slightly slanted to provide for run-off.
One conventional method of forming the cement plane on a wall is to apply a scratch coat of cement and allow it to cure for a few days. A typical scratch coat is comprised of three parts sand and one part plastic cement and is about three-eighths inches thick.
After the scratch coat has cured, screed support sticks are mounted on the wall by first applying vertical elongate mounds of brown coat cement to the scratch coat. Each mound supports a screed support stick. Typically, two mounds are applied, each about five-eighths inches thick and running from the top to the bottom of the wall. Before the mound cement has completely cured, a screed support stick is stuck into the cement. A stick is commonly a piece of wood cut the height of the wall and three-quarters inches wide and one-eighth or one-quarter inches thick.
The sticks are adjusted in the cement to bring them into plumb. The mounds are allowed to cure.
A brown coat is applied to the remainder of the wall up to the level of the top of the sticks. A screed is rested on the sticks and is used to strike off excess cement and to form the outer plane surface of the cement. The brown coat is cured.
The sticks are removed and holes created thereby are filled in with brown coat cement.
There are a number of disadvantages to this prior art method of supporting a screed. Obviously, it is very time consuming. Particularly, the stick mounds must be built and cured. It is often difficult to properly align the sticks in the cement. The sticks must be removed, their holes fillted in, and more time is required waiting for this fill cement to dry.
Additionally, this method requires skill on the part of the installer. Setting the sticks in the cement is an art. The cement must be soft, but not too soft. The sticks may move after placement or even fall out. Upon pressure of screeding, sticks may bow or move.
It is particularly difficult to adjust sticks on adjoining walls such that the walls are planes that intersect at a right angle. This results because the cement hardens in the time required to align everthing and the depth of the sticks must be changed.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a screed supporting device that is easily mounted, that is easily brought into plumb, that may be adjusted height-wise so as to align adjoining walls, and that decreases the total construction time.